False Astronomy
by Chronoix
Summary: When Eddward moves to town Kevin's life becomes a little bit more exciting than he'd like. Constantly looking over his shoulder for his new tormentor, Kevin can't help but feel like maybe Edd wants a little more than lunch money and someone to pick on. So why did he pick Kevin in the first place? This is just me having fun with asphyxion's & c2ndy2c1d's characters.
1. Chapter 1

_Summer days that faded into Fall, before the frosty chill of Winter took over. In the Spring, we promised to meet again._

Kevin's eyes opened slowly, the faint remnants of locked pinkies still fresh in his mind. "Ugh.." He groaned, sheltering his eyes from the sunlight peeking through his windows by burying his face under his pillows.

_'Why am I remembering something like that? Is it even a memory, or is it only a dream? Who would I even make a promise like that to?'_

Question upon question filled Kevin's head, and only the sharp knocking on his door pulled him away from his thoughts.

"Kevin!" The sweet, sing-songy voice of his mother called from behind the door. "Breakfast is ready! Hurry up and get ready before it gets cold!"

Kevin loved his mother's cooking. Of course, she had a lot of time to perfect it, as she was a stay-at-home mom. His Father, being the C.E.O. of Candy Corp. was, unfortunately, rarely home. He spent long hours at work, and was busy most weekend and holidays. But he was always able to bring home something sweet for his Momma's boy of a son. And Kevin didn't mind too terribly not being able to see his dad all the time. He wasn't actually the star athlete of the school, nor was he quite the smartest. For the most part, Kevin was normal, though geeky, with a considerable knack for tinkering. While these things worked out well enough for him at home, school was a little less than ideal, most days.

After quickly getting dressed and adjusting his hat to the perfect angle on his head, Kevin ran downstairs. Greeted with the warm aroma of pancakes and maple syrup he sat down at the table while his mother poured him a fresh glass of orange juice.

"Anything interesting going on at school?" His mother asked as she set the full glass in front of him.

"Well, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. There's a swim meet coming up in a couple weeks, and the football season starts this Friday. Nazz was saying she has a solo during half time, so she's asked me to go. Are there any chores I could do around the house for about $20?"

His mother chuckled and went over to get her purse. "Well, I do suppose it's about time you mowed the lawn. Let's say.. 3 times and we'll call it even?" She joked as she placed a crisp bill down on the table. Kevin smiled widely and quickly scooped the money up, stuffing it in his pocket. "Thanks mom! You've got a deal! Oh. I better get going, the school bus waits for no one, as they say!" He waved goodbye to his mother and ran out the front door.

_The school bus._ As Kevin climbed up the stairs of the large vehicle he couldn't stop his stomach from dropping. Not many kids cared who got on and off the bus, but he could always feel the penetrating stares of Plank and Jimmy. He tried to ignore them, his eyes dashing from row to row before he found what he was looking for. Nat and Nazz were sitting towards the middle of the bus with Rolf. "Kevin!" Nazz called cheerfully, and Kevin made his way to them, sliding into the seat with her. The bus started rolling again and everyone started talking more loudly to make up for it. Unfortunately, the cacophony soon went silent, and Kevin couldn't help but follow everyone's gazes to the front of the bus.

Eddward turned the corner into the aisle of the school bus and everybody went silent, as they should. If there was anything Edd hated more in the morning than waking up, it was loud, obnoxious idiots.  
He continued his stride, heading towards the back of the bus when he passed Kevin's seat.

_'What's this?' _Kevin remembered thinking, in temporary relief. _'Is he not going to bother me today? Maybe he's gotten bored...'_

"Ah." He heard Eddward muse and flinched at the simple noise.

"Pumpkin. I trust you have my lunch money today, right? I seem to have _forgotten_ mine again. Clumsy me." Eddward mused, throwing his arm over the back of Kevin's seat and leaned dangerously close to his face. The bus had already started rolling along again and Edd was still able to keep perfectly composed despite the shift in movement. He was like a rock that Kevin had no hopes of throwing.

"C'mon Eddward! Are you really going to do this every single day?!" Nazz retorted before Kevin could even swallow. Her outburst was met with a terrifyingly cold glare from Eddward. Perhaps, colder than one would suspect for the simple comeback Nazz had made.

"Ah, and let's go ahead and add another five for your little girlfriend's outburst."

Kevin sighed and gave a pitiful glance to Nazz, who decided to keep her mouth shut afterwards. "She's not my girlfriend.." Kevin mumbled while he pulled the new twenty dollar bill out of his pocket.

"Hm?" Eddward, _sort of_, replied, showing no actual interest as he pulled a handful of small bills out of his own pocket.

"Nothing.." Kevin answered, knowing full well that if he didn't he'd probably lose the rest of his money for "bad manners." Strangely enough, Eddward was considerably accurate. If he said he wanted $7 from you, and you gave him $10, he would give you $3 back. While it was the weirdest form of bullying anyone had ever seen, they were at least glad they wouldn't go completely hungry throughout the school day. "Here you are, Pumpkin." Eddward finished counting the bills out and handed Kevin six dollars. "Make it last." He laughed as he joined the rest of his little group in the back of the bus.

"I don't see why you bother giving him money back, Edd." Kevin heard Johnny complain before the rest of the kids began chattering again and drowned him out.

"I'm really sorry, Kevin.." Nazz apologized, snapping Kevin out of his thoughts. "I just hoped that maybe if we said something back to him for once, he'd back off.. I'll pay you back for everything he took, okay?"

Kevin smiled, he knew Nazz didn't have any bad intentions. But he also knew that Edd was going to leave him alone with just a little fighting back.

"It's alright, don't worry about it!" He laughed and patted her head. Nat hung his head over the seat behind them, resting his chin on the top of it. "Still man.. It sucks that Eddward targets you. Sometimes I wish I could give him a good pop in his smug mouth." Kevin laughed again, but he couldn't help but take Nat's words into consideration. It was true, ever since that unfortunate day, it seemed like Eddward was determined to make Kevin's life a living Hell..

* * *

Thanks to helterskelterwalter for encouraging me to write/post. (Go check their story out, too!)


	2. Chapter 2

It was a warm day in mid April. The cul-de-sac was abuzz with the excited youth all planning out how to spend the rest of the Spring break, with only half a week left, Kevin and his friends decided staying around the neighborhood and maybe going down to the lake a couple times would be fun. Kevin burnt so easily though, he couldn't help but dread it a little at the same time. _'I wouldn't want to go back to school looking redder than a cherry.. Jimmy would have a field day with that one.' _He thought to himself, then laughed a little while he imagined the prude boy's taunts.

"Oh! It's bad enough that you have that atrocity of a hat on everyday, but now you've got the skin color to match it!" Kevin mimed aloud in front of his mirror and burst out laughing again. His chuckles quieted down into small giggles before he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Good thing mom is out grocery shopping.." He sighed.

Then there was a knock at the door. Kevin jumped and glanced at his watch, "It's not time for Nat and the others to be here." Another knock, this one louder and quicker. _'Maybe mom tried to carry all the groceries at once again..' _He rushed down the stairs, ready to tease his mom with a broad grin on his face and threw the door open. Kevin's smile quickly faded as his brain processed the figure in front of him, definitely not his petite mother, but instead a strange boy standing a good foot and a half taller than him. _'Christ.. This guy is almost as tall as Rolf.' _He took mental note of his style, a strange black beanie, despite the radiating heat from the sun, and a leather jacket to boot. Kevin wondered how the boy wasn't sweltering where he stood. He also sported a red T-shirt underneath and considerably tight black pants, a chain hanging from his pocket where Kevin assumed his wallet was tucked. Last but not least the boy wore an off-grey pair of boots that went about half-way up his calf. His clothing alone spelled trouble, but then Kevin noticed the gap in his teeth. Not quite wide enough to signify a missing tooth, nor in the right spot, just an ordinary gap. Though it looked like he definitely came from a family who could afford a set of braces.

"Greetings, my fellow community member." The boy had an oddly expectant smile on his face, and Kevin couldn't help but feel like maybe he owed this boy something, somehow.

"H-hello.." Kevin laughed nervously, he wasn't the best at meeting new people, especially all of a sudden like this. "You must be.. From that new family, that moved into that old house?" The taller boy stared down at him, running his eyes up and down his body. Kevin shifted nervously and kicked at the air.

"...yes." The strange boy finally respond. "My name is _Edd_ward." Kevin mentally noted the emphasis the boy had put on 'Ed' before tuning back in to what he was saying, "That is, E-D-D-W-A-R-D. With two D's, you see," Kevin nodded, noticing his friends coming up his driveway.

"I'll keep that in mind." He replied, waving to Nazz who was excitedly flailing her arms in the background.

The new boy looked uneasy, frustrated even. He opened his mouth to speak, "Do you mean to tell me you truly do not-"

"KEVIN!" Nazz's excited shout cut Eddward's question off. She ran up the rest of the driveway and threw her arms around her friend in a tight embrace. A shiver went through Kevin's body, starting at his toes, and he couldn't help the blush that crept on to his face. He glanced up a was shocked to see Eddward glaring down at them with disapproval. Kevin cleared his throat, gently unlatching Nazz from him and gestured to the punked up looking boy. "Uhm.. Nazz.." He started nervously. "This is Eddward. His family is the one that just moved in at the end of the road."

"Oh!" Nazz beamed excitedly. "I'm sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you! I just got back from vacation and I was so excited to see Kevin again." Her cheerful chattering did nothing to change Eddward's now hostile looking disposition.

"I see.." Eddward responded, running his eyes over Nazz the same way he'd done to Kevin earlier, before shifting his gaze back to the awkward looking boy. "Charmed, I'm sure." He finished. Nazz held her hand out towards Eddward, and the boy glared down at it until she awkwardly pulled her arm back. "So.. Uh.. Where are you from..?"

Eddward ran his hand over his face, holding the other one up to Nazz. "You'll have to excuse me. The incessant noise that is continuously flowing out of that gaping hole in your face is giving me quite the persistent migraine. I believe I'll take my leave, I've so many people to introduce myself to, today."

Kevin's jaw dropped as the taller boy turned his back to him and his friend and began walking back towards the street, shouldering his way passed a confused looking Nat and Rolf.

"Ahh." Eddward mused before turning his head back to Kevin. "I just wanted to formally warn you that you should take great measures to protect yourself at school from now on, _Pumpkin_." The more friendly smile the boy had given Kevin earlier was gone, and a new malicious one had taken its place. Kevin swallowed hard, wondering what he have done to irritate his new neighbor so quickly. However, contrary to Edd's words, instead of going around to the other houses, Kevin and his friends watched as Eddward skulked back to his own house and slammed the door so fiercely the crash rang throughout the neighborhood.

"What was THAT all about?!" Nazz huffed, turning her attention back to Kevin.

"...I really have no idea.." He responded as Nat and Rolf joined with them. "But I have a really bad feeling about him."

* * *

Yeah, sorry for the sudden skip back. I figured it would be easy enough to figure out based on the way the last chapter ended, but I also didn't want to spoil it by announcing it was a time skip.. Or...backtrack, before you started reading. I'd like to think my writing has the ability to clarify that for me, but if not, let me know! I'll work hard to make sure everything is crystal clear for you guys!

Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter!

P.S. Sorry for typos and such in the last chapter. I finally figured out how to fix them after I've posted. Woohoo!


	3. Chapter 3

Halfway through the school day and Kevin couldn't really complain about much. He'd only been harassed one other time today, by Jimmy, who ended up being too busy boasting about how many likes his latest ensemble had gotten on Instagram. Now it was lunchtime and Kevin felt he didn't have to hold his breath quite so much. His friends all talked around him, all enthusiastic about the sports season starting and other small things happening around the school. Kevin listened halfheartedly, not wanting to upset his friends, but he also didn't care for hanging around after school just to watch people run back and forth with a ball. He preferred to do more productive things with his free time, like build robots and figure out how things worked.

"Yo! Dude! You are coming to the football game this Friday, right?" Nat's voice ripped Kevin away from his thoughts. "We have to support Nazz's solo debut, y'know?"

"Oh.. Uh, yeah. Of course!" Kevin smiled and Nazz cheered.

"Thanks so much, you guys!" She exclaimed.

There was a loud crash and then the sound of Johnny's pained yelp filled the cafeteria. "No fair Plank!" He hollered. And everyone looked over to see Plank holding Johnny's arm behind his back, head slammed into the table. Eddward was watching pensively, his hand placed on his chin. Edd gave a slight nod of his head and Plank relinquished Johnny's arm.

Kevin swallowed hard. Plank had taken martial arts and self defense classes since he was practically walking, and the fact that Eddward was interested in learning about it made him feel nauseous. Edd's eyes wandered over in Kevin's direction, and Kevin flinched back instinctively. However, as soon as Eddward realized Kevin was already looking at him his eyes darted back to Johnny, who was leaning over the table rubbing his shoulder.

"At least gimmie some warning next time you're going to use me to teach somethin' to Edd, Plank!" He whined.

"Could you barbarians possibly make ANY more noise?" Jimmy complained, wrinkling his face in disgust. He was always surrounded by some brainless group of girls asking for advice on accessorizing and getting dressed in general, Sarah being his biggest fan.

"Shut up ya sissy froot loop." Johnny retorted and Plank grinned. Jimmy rolled his eyes and went back to chattering with the girls.

Kevin had seen enough, he turned back to his friends as well.

"Crazy how they even pick on each other, huh?" Nat mentioned, and Kevin nodded. "The only thing they have in common is that they all like to pick on people in some way. I wouldn't really say any of them are even friends."

"I don't really want to talk about them. It's bad enough they're all jerks, let's not make them the center of attention all the time, too." Nazz suggested and the boys all nodded, changing the subject to something more enjoyable. Before long, the students started putting away their trays and the end of lunch was mere minutes away.

"So you'll really come to the game?" Nazz asked one last time, her eyes focused on Kevin.

"Yeah, Nazz, I'll really come!" He reassured her and she let out one final excited yelp and threw her arms around her friend.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She repeated before letting go. Kevin felt a pressure on the back of his head and before he could really comprehend it his nose was a couple inches away from his tray.

"Hello, _Pumpkin_." Eddward's voice called behind him. "I do so hope you're enjoying your lunch today."

Kevin tried to look from the corner of his eyes to his friends, who were all preoccupied with their own bully. Plank held Nat in a firm headlock and Johnny kept flicking Rolf in the nose, meanwhile Jimmy held onto a fistful of Nazz's hair, a pair of scissors in his other hand.

"What do you want, Eddward?" Kevin finally asked.

"Just enjoying some conversation with my favorite customer." Edd replied. "Oh, and I also learned a new trick today that I wanted to try out. I'm sure you saw it earlier?" Kevin swallowed hard, remembering Johnny's face twisted in pain. His joints ached just from the memory, he didn't want to experience the actuality.

"..you're not serious.." He stammered out, trying to refrain his body from shaking.

"Oh, Pumpkin, you know out of all my fine qualities, I am nothing if not completely _serious _about my work. However..."

Kevin let his breath, unaware that he had even been holding it.

"Perhaps you could persuade me otherwise."

"Well what do you want?!" Kevin panicked.

"My friend Jimmy here has suggested your little girlfriend should highly consider an upgrade in appearance for her big day this week. But we're not quite sure what to do with her. Since you know her so much better than we, perhaps you should be the one to give her this little _modification_."

Kevin looked over at Nazz, who had tears welling in her eyes. He couldn't imagine butchering Nazz's hair in order to save his own hide, especially when Nazz kept it so short in the first place.

"..No." He finally sighed.

"No?" Eddward repeated.

"I won't do it." Kevin answered. "Do what you want to me, but I'll never hurt one of my friends to keep myself safe."

"Hm. A charming notion, but an unwise decision all the same." Eddward reached for Kevin's wrist, and Kevin closed his eyes tightly, but the piercing blare of the school bell, signifying the end of lunch came first. Edd frowned slightly and slammed Kevin's head against his tray instead. He leaned in closely to Kevin's ear and growled, "Time favored you this time, Pumpkin. But I'll be waiting for you after school in the locker rooms for the swim team. If you don't show up I can't guarantee what might happen to you or your friends."

Kevin didn't do anything, all he could really focus on with the frames of his glasses and whether or not they were broken. Eddward let go of his head and dusted his hand on his pants. "Au revoir." He laughed before exiting the cafeteria, followed by his group.

"Jesus!" Nat choked, rubbing his neck. "That has got to be the most vicious attack that guy has made yet. What the hell pissed him off so bad?"

"Those boys are scarier than the starving boars from my home country!" Rolf yelped.

"Kevin, what did Eddward even say to you..?" Nazz was holding the back of her head where Jimmy had pulled her hair. She didn't look like she was about to cry anymore, but she definitely still looked hurt." Kevin didn't want to worry his friends or make them suffer anymore than they had already.

"...just the usual stuff.." Kevin lied. "He just told me to watch myself and not doing anything I would regret later, like tell a teacher."

"Whatever! Like we'd bother turning tail and running to the adults who won't even help." Nat fumed, slamming his hands down on the table. "Let's get out of here. Class is about to start again."

The four of them put their trays away and followed the stragglers out of the cafeteria, waving goodbye to each other and heading to their respective classes.

_'I'll be waiting for you after school in the locker rooms.' _Kevin didn't want to think about Eddward's threat right now, but it weighed heavily on his mind.

* * *

Whew.. sorry this took a couple of days. I've been at work, plus I haven't made a commitment to writing a story since I was in.. Like.. 4th grade. (A LONG time ago.)

HAH.

Anyways, thank you all for reading! I really appreciate it and seeing that so many people are at least the slightest bit interested in my story encourages me to write more. It's pretty fun!

And don't be afraid to let me know what you think and if I need to fix things!

Byeee.


	4. Chapter 4

As Kevin inched down the hall he tried to stop the pounding of his heart within his chest.

_'Is this the end? Is Edd finally going to pound me into an unrecognizable pulp? When I need to have plastic surgery just to look human again? Why am I even worried about how I look? Is there a surgery to take away all of your pain receptors? Can I just remove that piece of my brain...'_

His frantic thoughts went silent as he looked up at the double doors in front of him, the sign "POOL" written on a small plate above them. His knees were shaking as he reached a hesitant hand forward, a thousand scenes of Eddward beating him into oblivion running through his mind. There were so many things he wanted to do still. He knew he'd told his mother he loved her this morning, but now that his life would be coming to an end he wanted to make sure. He slowly pulled his hand back and reached into his pocket for his cell phone.

Then the doors flew open, and a considerably pissed off Eddward glared out of them. Kevin's jaw dropped and he stood there, frozen, like a deer in headlights. Much to his surprise though, Edd's expression softened when he saw him standing there.

"You actually came." He grinned, it was a playful grin. Not menacing or daunting, like usual.

"Y-yeah..." Kevin choked. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and let it fall to his side. "Well.. I already told you, you could do whatever you want to me, just leave my friends alone.." He wanted to sound tough and brave, but he knew his words were about as intimidating as a kitten's mewl.

"Well were you just planning on loitering outside the door or were you actually going to come in? My invitation was to the _locker room_, not the hallway."

Kevin nodded, taking a hesitant step through the doors when Eddward moved to the side to allow entrance. The door slammed hard behind them, causing Kevin to flinch.

"This way." Edd directed, pointing past Kevin to the locker room door for the boys. He started ahead of Kevin, and Kevin just watched his back as he followed.

_'He doesn't seem.. Angry...' _Kevin though, gratefully. _'In fact, he doesn't even seem irritated. He almost seems...'_

Eddward was holding the door open again and ushered Kevin inside the locker room before closing the door and clicking the small lock into place.

"I didn't know the locker rooms had-"

"They do not." Eddward cut Kevin's statement off. "But it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out how to install one. Not to mention, the swim team is so immensely "_unnecessary_" the faculty doesn't even deem it fit to be inspected. I also enjoy having the certainty of knowing I have a place I will not be bothered."

Kevin just nodded, there was really no point in arguing or telling Edd it was technically destruction of school property. For once, it seemed he had done something that actually _wasn't _hurting anybody, so he just left it alone.

Eddward leaned his back against a row of lockers and pulled his hat down over his eyes, making his current expression unreadable. Kevin stood by the door awkwardly and twirled his thumbs around one another, waiting. The room became unbearably silent and Eddward was so still Kevin was beginning to wonder if the boy had fallen asleep. He cleared his throat and finally mustered up the courage to say something. "So-"

"Kevin." Eddward cut him off again. The taller boy slowly pulled his head back, wearing an expression Kevin couldn't quite place anymore. He didn't look angry, nor happy, nor playful. He didn't look intimidating, and he didn't quite look _sad_. The closest thing Kevin could relate it to was desperate.

"Edd..." Kevin answered.

"No!" Eddward growled suddenly and slammed his hand against the lockers behind him, causing Kevin to jump back. "Not that.."

Kevin stared at him, confused. "..you don't want me to call you Edd?"

"No." Edd huffed back, he crossed his arms over his chest and pulled back his chin.

_'Is he... __**SULKING**__?' _Kevin thought, in bemused confusion. _'I can't believe Eddward is sulking because I called him Edd.. Lots of people do though, and he never snaps at them.."_

"Well.. What _should _I call you? Eddward?" Kevin finally inquired.

"No." Edd replied.

"Then what?" Kevin sighed. "Am I supposed to come up with a stupid nickname for you are something?"

"Perhaps."

Kevin rolled his eyes. _'What's his deal? He's been treating me like crap since we first met, he threatened me and my friends, intimidated me into come in here where he could easily beat me up and now he wants me to NICKNAME him?' _"This is ridiculous." Kevin realized he had said that last part out loud and his stomach dropped. Eddward was sure to get angry now that Kevin had insulted him, but to Kevin's surprise, he just kept sulking, staring intently at the ground as if he were having a contest with it.

"Tch." The noise was the only response Eddward gave Kevin that time.

"Are you just gonna sit there pouting like a 5 year old all day?! Or are you going to give me a real answer?" Kevin felt a little bit more empowered with Edd's current demeanor. Like he could say anything right now and probably not get pounded for it.

"..yes." Edd finally looked up from the floor. "No.. It was around 8.." His eyes looked hopeful, and only served to make Kevin all the more confused. "Kevin." Eddward stood up from against the lockers, and quickly crossed the length of the locker room until he was right in front of Kevin, towering over him like usual. "I implore you.."

Kevin felt anxious. The desperation was back in Edd's composure, eyes staring down at him so intensely they felt invasive. Kevin briefly wondered if you really could burn a hole through someone with a gaze. What did Eddward want so desperately he'd reduce himself to begging? Edd held his hand up, curling his fingers in until only his pinky was out. Kevin stared at Edd's hand, eyes wide as he remembered his dream.

_'There's no way..'_

"What is this? Some kind of joke? We're not little kids." Kevin spat out and smacked Eddward's hand away.

"Please." That was all Eddward said in response, moving his hand back to Kevin.

"No!" Kevin retorted, moving Eddward's hand again. But Edd didn't keep his soft expression, his eyes went cold and he slammed Kevin's back against the lockers.

"I am no longer asking you _politely_, Pumpkin." He growled.

"I said **no**, Double D! PISS OFF."

To Kevin's surprise, Eddward relinquished his grip on Kevin and pulled away, covering his hand with his face. Kevin relaxed, his shoulders slumping down as he watched the taller boy. Eddward was laughing, no.. _Giggling_. Almost manically. It was a strange sight, but at the same time it felt.. _Familiar_.

"Finally.." Edd breathed, his hand falling to his side and a wide smile on his face. It was the same expectant-looking smile he had given Kevin when he first knocked on his door back in Spring, last year.

"Double D..?" The nickname flowed off of Kevin's tongue, like a word from a foreign language he'd forgotten he knew.

"Perhaps you do not recall everything. But it is certainly a start. Now I know, without a doubt, that you can remember. You _will_."

Kevin couldn't quite tell whether he preferred Edd's menacing smile to this new expectant one, but for the moment, he wasn't getting hit, so he would deal with it.

* * *

Wheeeew... Sorry for my lateness. (I do believe it hasn't been an entire week since I last wrote, but I honestly don't remember... ^-^;;) But I know when you guys like a story you just want it to update all the time as soon as possible. I KNOW. I'VE BEEN THERE. I AM THERE. But I do have work, and a video game I love, plus a new video game I love. (Just got Animal Crossing New Leaf! Wheee!) But I'm still trying to write as soon as I can for you guys, so thanks for bearing with me!

Sorry if I'm not quite meeting anyone's expectations! And sorry for typos and general mistakes. I try and read over my chapters a couple times before I post them, but sometimes I just overlook some stuff!

Thanks for reading, and don't be shy about telling me what you think and what I should improve on!

Love!

~Chrono


	5. Chapter 5

Night had come, and Kevin was back home, safely in his bed. His mother none-the-wiser as to why he had come home late, suspecting he'd just spent some time after school with his friends.

He rolled over and sighed, staring at the side table next to his bed, a pocket sized notepad resting on top. He sat up, reached over and picked up the notebook, flipping through to a new blank page and wrote "Double D" at the top.

_'How could I forget...' _He thought, dejectedly.

Double D had been in the neighborhood when they were kids, and he was Kevin's first real friend. Kevin's parents had gone through a rough patch before his mom quit her job. There was talk about his father seeing another woman because they were both too busy to see each other. He had never seen his mother so heartbroken. It was then that Kevin went through his rebellious stage, shutting out his father and doing everything he could to help his mother recover. In an attempt to win back the favor of his son, Kevin's father bought him a fancy new bike, something Kevin had been asking for for a few years prior. Kevin didn't forgive his father, but he didn't refuse the bike, either. He started spending long days riding around the neighborhood, cutting through backyards and into the woods, down to the creek. The creek was his favorite spot because the woods offered him shade and the gentle splashing of the water relaxed him. After many visits, he finally met Double D, sitting close to the edge of the water with a magnifying glass, a small brown satchel laying next to him. He was wearing an over sized black ski hat with two white stripes along the sides and a red-orange shirt underneath a pair of purple overalls.

Kevin sighed loudly. This was his spot.

"Oh!" The boy jumped a bit, loosing his grip on his magnifying glass. He fumbled catching it a few times before it finally plopped into the river. "Ohh.." Was all he managed as he hung his head. Kevin felt bad. He hadn't meant to do that, and suddenly the notion of being over protective of his spot felt silly. He walked over and started taking his shoes and socks off before stepping into the river and fumbling around in the water.

"Ahh! You needn't trouble yourself!" The boy called to him, beginning to take off his own shoes. "I'm quite capable of retrieving my own belongings!" He stepped down into the creek as well, and yelped slightly. Kevin stared at him for a moment and the boy blushed lightly. "The temperature is a bit chillier than I'd anticipated.." He apologized.

"Why do you talk like that?" Kevin asked, shrugging his shoulders and going back to searching for the magnifying glass.

"I beg your pardon?" The boy inquired.

"Like a _dork_." Kevin grinned

"D-dork?" The boy repeated, incredulously. "How rude! Teasing one based simply on their preference in vocabulary.."

"Oh come on, this can't be the first time you've heard that. You should be used to it if that's how you always talk."

"I've never been called such a derogatory name before... I don't usually partake in social gatherings, as well."

"So.. You don't get out much?"

"Not particularly."

"And you don't talk with other people?"

"...not particularly.." The boy answered more quietly.

"...well that's why you've never been called a dork before. Not enough people have heard you talk." Kevin smiled, hoping his statement didn't offend the other boy like before. The boy smiled back, realizing he meant no insult. "Ah!" Kevin gasped, pulling the small handle out of the creek. "Here we go!"

"You have my sincerest gratitude!" The boy remarked, taking his magnifying glass back.

"There you go again!" Kevin laughed, and playfully splashed at the other boy.

"G-Good lord!" He exclaimed, sheltering his face as the water hit his clothes and soaked into them. "That was highly unnecessary!"

Kevin splashed at him again. "And I'm going to keep doing it for every sentence over 5 syllables!"

"At least allow me a moment to secure my belongings in my satchel!" The boy cried out, getting drenched by the second attack.

"Ah! That's way over five!" He used both hands for an even bigger splash, now.

The boy shrieked and tossed his magnifying glass over towards his bag and gripped his hat to keep it from falling off as he fell backwards into the creek.

"Whoops..." Kevin stifled a laugh as he walked over to help the boy up. But, in an act of revenge, the boy simply pulled on Kevin's hand, causing him to lose his balance and topple into the water as well.

"Never lower your guard simply because your enemy has fallen." The boy smiled triumphantly.

"Okay, okay, dweeb. I guess I deserved that."

The two boys dragged themselves out of the creek and plopped into the grass, staring up at the pink sky while the sun set.

"My mom's going to have a fit when I get home." Kevin joked.

"Ah.. Yes.. I suppose my parents would be considerably displeased as well."

"Would?" Kevin asked, rolling onto his side to look at the other boy.

"Well.. They're rarely home. Both quite accomplished in different academic fields. Lots of research to be done, as we can never stop learning, correct?" The boy answered, his smile not hiding the dejection and loneliness in his eyes.

"Well.. Why don't you come to my place? I'm sure my mom would love it if she had someone else to take care of for a night, too! My name is Kevin, by the way." Kevin's brilliant smile chased away the sad look in the other boys expression.

"Mine is Eddward. It has two Ds."

"Hah, even your name sounds dorky, Double Dweeb!" Kevin joked, and Eddward huffed in response. "Well, how about Double D? That sounds cool, right? And then everyone else will know that you have two Ds, and you won't have to explain it every time."

"...Double D.." Edd repeated, and nodded happily. "Yes! I'm quite fond of it!"

Kevin stood up and rung out the hem of his shirt. "Well, we'd better get home quick so we can change. Lord knows my mom will freak out if we get home both wet **and **frozen. We can head back on my bike."

Double D nodded, and picked up his bag, tucking his magnifying glass inside as he followed Kevin. After several attempts of Double D trying to get on the bike first and falling over, Kevin finally decided it'd be easier if he did and let Double D climb on after him.

"..I guess just hold on.. I don't want you flailing around back their and knocking us over on the concrete. That would really suck."

Double clutched the bike of Kevin's shirt and nodded, "That would be quite troublesome indeed.."

Then Kevin pushed his feet off the ground and started peddling, the sudden shift in motion caused Eddward to fall back a bit and Kevin's wet shirt offered little help in balancing him back out. Before he knew it, Edd had wrapped his arms around Kevin's waist and buried his face into his back.

"Geeze.. You've never been on a bike, either? Dork.." Kevin muttered. But there was a strange sense of happiness he felt having his new friends arms around him. He felt like a protector and despite the chilling wind hitting their wet clothes, he felt warm, too.

In the following few years the boys spent a lot of time together, Eddward came over almost every night for dinner, and Kevin's mom always fawned over how well behaved and polite he was. Eventually Kevin was able to make friends with a few other kids in the neighborhood, and as a result, spent less time with Edd. It wasn't a drastic change, and Kevin hardly thought about it until the day Edd came knocking on his door after school, his eyes glossy and red with tears.

"What's wrong, Double D?!" Kevin asked, shocked to see his friend in such a state.

"I-I..I'm sorry, Kevin.. I w-was trying to find the r-right time to tell you.." Eddward sniffled. "But.." He wiped at his eyes, new tears forming and threatening to fall. "I'm moving.."

Kevin stared in disbelief. "What? Why?"

"My parents.. Their job often requires us to relocate from time to time in order for them to give presentations in specific areas... It's just that time again.."

"But.." Was all Kevin could manage to get out.

"I'm sorry.."

"..will you never come back?"

"...perhaps.. One day.. If I can manage well in school.. My parents said they quite enjoyed the peace and quiet here.. Maybe one day we can.."

"You swear?" Kevin asked hopefully. "You have to do it! You have to come back here." He held his pinky out to Eddward, his expression completely serious. Edd looked uneasy, unsure of whether or not he could really make such a promise, surely. He'd always been better at seeing "the big picture" than Kevin was. Kevin was rash and mostly focused on the here and now.

"..okay." Double D finally answered. "I promise."

He reached his pinky out and hooked it with Kevin's, shaking it lightly.

"You can't break a pinky swear, you know." Kevin stated, matter-of-factually. "My mom said so."

"Of course not." Double D laughed, then waved a bit solemnly. "Well.. I guess this is goodbye.. For now."

"But not forever!" Kevin piped, trying to keep Edd from crying again.

Eddward nodded and turned his back to his friend and made his way down the driveway, turning back at the end to wave one last time before running off. Kevin stood in the doorway for a little while, his hand still in the air as he'd waved back to his friend. It hadn't really sunken in yet. But that night he cried silently over the departure of his best friend.

"Ugh.. What a baby I was back then.." Kevin sighed, closing his notebook and placing it back on the side table. "No wonder I forgot.. So lame.." But inside he felt terribly guilty and couldn't help but wonder how rejected Eddward must have felt that day when he finally came back. "I really suck.." He muttered, pulling his covers over his head as he laid back down.

* * *

Woohoo! I got another chapter out quickly! Here's some fluffy filler stuff for you. * v*

Also! There's a reference picture I used for Double Ds child self! In case you wanted a better visualization! You can just Google "Young Double D" and he'll probably come up. CUTEST THING EVER.

That's all for now, feel free to review and tell me how you feel about the story and anything else you'd be interested in seeing me work in/do differently.

Love!

~Chrono


	6. Chapter 6

Before you guys start reading, I would like to sincerely apologize for my severe lateness in regards to this story! I just hit a bad time in my life and I really couldn't think of what to do next, and I didn't want to just hash out a bad chapter so you guys would have something to read. I'm really, REALLY sorry! And I've actually got a ton of awesome ideas for what to do next with this story, so I hope you'll bear with me for the time being! Love! ~Chrono.

* * *

The next morning came too soon and the sun shined too brightly through his window. Kevin's night was filled with dreams of the times he and Eddward had played together. There was a tapping noise behind his head, and Kevin peered over towards his window to see Eddward standing outside it. Edd gestured for Kevin to come outside, then turned around and trudged off towards the sidewalk. Kevin shifted underneath his covers and dragged himself out of bed. There was a lot to talk about, no doubt, and he wanted to apologize as well. Everything felt a little bit awkward as he dressed himself, how would he even go about apologizing? A simple, "_I'm sorry I forgot we were pretty much best friends at one point_," seemed a little bit... Brash.

As he trudged down the stairs his found his mother peering through the curtains from the living room. "Kevin!" She exclaimed, turning around with a guilty looking expression on her face. "Th-there's a boy outside! He's sitting in front of our house. Do you know him? He looks a bit... Intimidating." She pulled the curtains back once more and stole another glance at Eddward. Kevin briefly pondered how he might explain the situation to his mom, but knew she'd probably give him a long lecture about hurting people's feelings and being more attentive, things Kevin didn't really care to be chastised about right now.

"Yeah. I know him. It's okay." He decided to reply.

"Oh, well, so long as he's one of your friends..." She let go of the curtains and let them drift back into place as she walked over to her boy and pinched his cheek. "Be careful, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Kevin answered, a slight blush creeping along his face. He knew he was a mamma's boy. He headed for the door and waved goodbye to her as he stepped outside, the warm rays of the sun immediately soaking into his clothes and warming his body. He drew in a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. "Well, here goes nothing, I guess..." Was all he could manage as he made his way to Eddward.

Eddward heard his footsteps on the pavement, as Kevin had a bad habit of dragging his feet when he was nervous or upset. It was the little quirks like that Eddward probably remembered the most. He stood up, patting down his pants to brush off any dirt and turned to wave at Kevin. "A fine morning, wouldn't you agree, Pumpkin?" He tried to sounds cheery, but the awkward tension was thick.

"...uhh... Yeah..." Kevin mumbled in response, staring at the ground. Another sigh escaped his lips and he clenched his fists tightly. "I just-"

"Perhaps we should go somewhere more private." Eddward suggested, as the slamming of a door in the distance made the two embarrassingly aware of how odd it would look to the other kids to see them casually chatting away on Kevin's front lawn.

"Ah.. Good idea." Kevin nodded. The two boys headed across the street towards Eddward's house and slunk into the words. A familiar nostalgia washed over Kevin as he recalled the long evenings spent in the woods with Edd, listening to him gab over every type of insect he found. For a brief moment, Kevin wondered if Eddward felt anything trudging through these woods as well, or if he'd simply chosen this path because the other neighborhood kids didn't go into the woods. Soon, the faint sound of rushing water made Kevin realize there was no way Eddward hadn't taken this path on purpose. The little creek where the first met soon came into view and a pang of guilt tugged at Kevin's heart once again.

Eddward sighed. His eyes were calculating, sure, but not sure. He was figuring out what to say and Kevin knew he wouldn't say anything until he had his entire dialogue planned out. Now seemed like as good a time as any to apologize, so he mustered up his courage and opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry." Both boys said, nearly simultaneously. They stared at each other in brief disbelief before Kevin snorted and the two of them burst into laughter. After a short while they settled down, and Kevin's gaze fell onto the water.

"But seriously..." He started, kicking lightly at the air. "I am sorry... I'm a terrible excuse for a friend. Well.. ex-friend, I guess..."

Eddward stared blankly ahead, and for once, Kevin realized the boy he could usually read like a book had an almost impenetrable mask on. _'When had Eddward learned to hide his emotions so well? And why had he deemed it necessary to do so?'_ Kevin's thoughts wandered away with him as he recalled Edd's former self, a little bit of a crybaby who was easily embarrassed and constantly attempting to find the right, simpler words. It was a trait Kevin had secretly admired in their childhood, as he felt the need to constantly hide his emotions, lest they'd get the better of him. As an angsty kid, the last thing he' wanted was to become an angry bitter stick in the mud because of family issues that were completely out of his control, but somehow Eddward's openness made him realize it was okay to be angry sometimes.

A low grumble from Eddward caused Kevin to snap back from his reminiscing. The boy was still gazing out into the distance, but had started off as an intensely thoughtful gaze, now looked like a menacing glare. The corners of his mouth were pulled down into an angry scowl and his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white. Kevin wondered what had annoyed Edd so quickly in the time he'd spent lost in his musings.

"Well," Eddward finally spat out. "I suppose there was no helping it. I made my departure quite suddenly. It was also considerably obvious that we had been drifting apart as _companions _for some time." The emphasis Eddward had put on the word made Kevin feel uneasy.

"Uhh. Double D-"

"Do not call me by so childish a nickname." Eddward snapped, cutting Kevin off. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "In other events, it seems our little talk has given me significant closure on where we stand now, opposed to where we once stood before. I suppose it was too much to assume we could possibly patch the distance that has grown between the two of us, and now I must downheartedly accept the undeniable fact that we have drifted apart." The words were spilling from Edd's mouth a mile a minute and Kevin had difficulty keeping up. "I'll take my leave now, enjoy the pleasantness of this day while you can." Eddward readjusted his hat and hastily made his way past Kevin and back into the woods from which they came.

_'Was that a threat? That totally sounded like a threat_..' Kevin thought as he stared in disbelief at the other boys back as it disappeared into the underbrush. _'What the hell was that? He went off the deep end so quickly!' _Kevin crouched down, gripping his head as he wracked his brain for any sort of explanation as to what had just happened. He had trouble linking his once gentle nerdy friend to this short fused new version. _'I guess... This is just the way it is. We've become different people now.' _There was a tugging inside his chest, as the memory of his old friend disappearing overwhelmed him in a whole new respect. Suddenly, after years of coping with Eddward having moved away, Kevin truly felt like he'd lost his friend. He picked up a rock and angrily tossed it into the river before turning around and heading back to his own home.


	7. New Kids on the Block

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur. Kevin had spent his nights struggling with the acceptance of the loss of his friend, and reminding himself of all the terrible things Eddward had done to him since he'd returned. Just because he was angry or felt dejected didn't give him the right to harass Kevin so often, or to torture him so crudely. By the time Monday had rolled around, Kevin felt he had completely re-justified his dislike towards Eddward, and felt he would be okay thinking of him as an enemy once more. But somewhere in the back of his mind the faint traces of doubt lingered, and Kevin doubted his resolve would hold once his natural empathetic tendencies took over. He shook his head, trying to chase the thought away. It felt like it took Kevin and eternity to eat his breakfast, and he was constantly spacing out while his mother made her routine small talk about how school was going. Finally he slug his bookbag over his shoulder and headed out to wait for the bus. When it arrived he sat in his usual spot, around his usual friends and everything continued on as it usually had. Until he realized the bus drove passed Eddward's usual stop.

_'But... Eddward never misses the bus. Or school for that matter. He's always had perfect attendance...'_

"Hey! Looks like it's going to be a good day!" His friend Nat joked, playfully punching Kevin in the shoulder. "No Eddward! I thought the day would never come! Maybe he's so sick he'll be out for the whole week!" Nazz giggled, and Kevin gave an awkward grin and a halfhearted shrug.

"Yeah... If we could only be so lucky." He gave a nervous laugh and stared out the window.

When they arrived at school Kevin noticed the now familiar outline off Eddward's in the distance, standing in the check-in office and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Aww, lame!" Nate called out behind him, stepping off the bus. "And here I thought we'd hit the jackpot today."

"Oh, Nat. Don't be so mean." Nazz smiled. "Even if he is a jerk."

"Like my Nana always told Rolf: It is best to let mother nature take care of your enemies than to seek revenge." Rolf input. "Unless they defile your soil or steal your goats."

The three friends just stared at a moment before shrugging it off and heading inside of the school. As they passed the office Kevin stole a glance inside and noticed two boys standing behind Eddward. _'New students?'_ He wondered as he turned the corner too soon and slammed into the wall, falling backwards afterwards.

"Jeez, dude. Watch where you're going, huh?" Nat said as he held his hand out to help Kevin up.

"Are you alright?" Nazz asked, a look of concern on her face.

"It seems Quiz Bowl boy is not in his right senses this morning, as he seems more distracted than a Shepard with cabbage stew."

"...uhh.. Right. Well for once I think Rolf is on to something. You seem really out of it today, Kev."

While Nazz's worry was well intended, Kevin couldn't bring himself to tell his friends what was on his mind.

"It's nothing.. I've just been thinking about a lot of stuff."

There was a noise behind them and the four turned to see Eddward, clearing his throat. The two strangers from the office standing on either side of him. One boy towering nearly half a foot taller, and the other a good three feet shorter. Despite that, the boy didn't seem insecure with his height, nor did he look particularly uncomfortable standing next to the two giants. He was wearing a relatively baggy pair of pants that seemed to make him look even smaller, a plain yellow t-shirt, and a hooded vest zipped up over it. The two studded piercings on his bottom lip, and black wristbands tied his outfit together and his shockingly blue hair that faded to black at his sideburns suggested he may dye his hair, but somehow it seemed to be natural. He scowled at the bunch, and Kevin decided to avert his attention to the tallest boy. While he didn't look terribly intimidating in wardrobe or appearance alone, standing next to the other two somehow made him so. He wore a red and white three quarter sleeve striped shirt underneath a green button up t-shirt that he left open. His pants were also baggy, and he had a piercing as well, on the right side of a slightly ridiculous mono brow and a shaggy head full of red hair, considerably similar to Sarah's color.

"Who're these dorks?" The shorter boy huffed to Eddward, his drooping scowl amplifying his completely obvious disinterest.

Eddward's gaze drifted down to Kevin, but it was as emotionless as it had been mere days before. "Just a group of lowly sophomores. I can't even be bothered to remember their names they're of so little concern." He answered coldly, never taking his eyes off of Kevin. There was a sharp sting to his words, and Kevin flinched slightly and turned his head to the side.

"Well if they're so lame then what are we standing around here for?" The boy asked again, impatiently.

"Eddy doesn't like the little fishies.." The tallest boy grinned down at them, finally causing Kevin to feel uneasy about him as well. He extended his finger and pointed at Kevin, which made Kevin shift nervously.

"...yes?" He finally said, after an awkwardly long moment of being pointed at. "Can I help you?"

The taller boy's grinned widened and he suddenly curled his finger to his thumb and before Kevin could process what he was doing he felt a sharp thump against his forehead.

"GOT YA." The taller and shorter boys laughed loudly as Kevin rubbed at the mark. "Nice one, Ed." The shorter boy remarked, high fiving the taller boy.

"Hey!" Nazz shouted, glaring at the two of them. "That was totally uncalled for and rude!"

"Oh yeah?" The shorter boy turned his gaze to her and she shrunk back instinctively. "What'cha gonna do about it, _girly? _Write me an angry note and tape it to my locker? I'm _SO _scared."

"Hey, cut it out!" Nat finally chimed in. "You think you're tough because you pick on girls?" He glared at the shorter boy.

"You want me to pick on you, no life?" The shorter boy retorted, starting to roll his sleeve up to reveal the beginnings of a tattoo.

"Come now, Eddy." Eddward finally interrupted. "It won't be long before the bell rings and I've yet to direct you an Ed to your first class. Tardiness on the first day his quite unseemly." Eddy reluctantly pulled back to stand next to Eddward.

"Whatever, you jokes aren't worth my time anyway." He huffed and the three of them continued on their way.

"Awesome. So it not only ended up with us being unlucky enough to have Eddward here, now there's two new assholes roaming the halls." Nat sighed and rolled his eyes. "As if this day could get any worse..." The ringing of the bell caused all the kids to jump slightly.

"Well... See you guys later..." Nazz tried to smile, but everyone could see the awkwardness.

"Yeah..." Kevin sighed in return. "See you guys at lunch, I guess. Good luck."

As they each headed to their respective first periods, Kevin couldn't help the dropping of his stomach as he stepped inside his classroom to see the shorter boy from earlier standing at the teacher's desk. He groaned and reluctantly took his seat. _'Great. Of all the times to end up being a good student...' _He thought in despair as his teacher vocalized his worries.

"You can sit next to Kevin. He's the best in class. He'll have you up to speed in no time!"

Eddy trudged in between the desks until he reached the empty seat next to Kevin.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Four Eyes McDorky himself." Eddy rolled his eyes in annoyance and leaned back in his chair. "Just don't annoy me and maybe I won't make your school year too miserable." He grinned somewhat devilishly and Kevin let out another groan. _'Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I guess...'_

* * *

_Yay! I got to introduce the other Ed's! I've been really excited about this! Eeeeee! _I hope I did them a justifiable introduction.. The character models for Eddy and Ed belong toooo... elazulselevanto on Tumblr, and they're soooo awesome! Definitely go check out her stuff! 3

I hope this makes up for my mini hiatus..? ; u; Maybe?

Well, I still love you guys even if you might hate me! Thank you for reading, as always! And feel free to leave me a review!

Love!

~Chrono


	8. Chapter 8

The ringing of the bell never sounded sweeter in Kevin's ears. He let out a relieved sighed as the students starting sliding out of their desks and making their way to the door. As he started to get up himself Eddy grabbed his arm effectively stopping him.

"Where do you think you're going?" The way he said it made it seem more like a statement than a question, so Kevin decided to keep silent. "Aren't you going to help the poor, lost new kid find his next class?"

Kevin rolled his eyes, jerking his arm away from Eddy's grasp. While he'd love to just leave him sitting there, in the long run he knew he'd probably endure less torment by complying with Eddy's demands now. "Fine." He muttered. "What's your next class?"

"Forget it." Eddy replied. "Just show me where Double D is. I'll have him show me."

_'Double D...?' _Somehow hearing the nickname he'd picked out said by someone else made Kevin's stomach turn. He swallowed hard and tried to ignore the feeling. "Like I would know where he's at. We're not exactly friends." He huffed.

"That so..." Eddy's voice trailed off and his expression became less hostile. He pushed himself up from his chair and made his way out of the classroom, "Guess I'll find him myself then. Later, dork." He waved nonchalantly over his shoulder as he made his exit.

Kevin stared at the door frame for a moment, trying to make sense of the small boys actions. Finally he just shrugged it off, deciding it wasn't worth the effort. In the end though, he wasn't able to forget Eddy knowing his old friend's nickname. He'd been skeptical beforehand, but now it was obvious. The two new boys knew Eddward somehow, and were probably connected to his drastic change in demeanor. A long sigh escaped his lips. He didn't feel like putting the pieces together right now, or whether he even had the right to. During the weekend he'd decided to leave the past where it was, but suddenly that felt impossible.

Leaving the classroom and stepping out into the slowly emptying hallway did little to distract Kevin's from his thoughts. The only thing that actually managed to pull him out of his own head was the realization that Eddward was leaning against the lockers, staring intently in his direction. Kevin looked over, but before their eyes met Edd turned his gaze away. Eddy had found his way to Edd's side again, and noticed when he turned his head away. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Kevin looking over. But the second bell chimed, and the remaining kids started pushing their way passed each other, allowing Kevin to break eye contact and make his way to his own class. Eddward pushed off the lockers and started down the hallway.

"Coming, Eddy?" He called over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah..." Eddy replied, watching Kevin's back disappear into the crowd. He clenched his fists for a moment before turning to follow Edd. "Wait up, Sockhead." He called out.

* * *

Days turned into weeks, and eventually everyone got used to the fact that there were two new bullies to deal with. Ed was more physical than Eddward had ever been, and Eddy was considerably more greedy where money was involved. Before long the kids found themselves missing Eddward's old bullying tactics. Most of the time Edd hung back and let the two terrorize the other students at their own leisure. But for some reason when Kevin and his friends were involved he was all too happy to join them.

Kevin trudged into the cafeteria, taking his usual spot with his friends. They all looked a little bit more worn than usual.

"Never thought I'd miss the times where Eddward hung out with Jimmy and Johnny." Nat mumbled inbetween a long yawn. He laid his head on the table and sheltered himself within his arms.

"I feel you.." Nazz chimed in, fixing her hair. Ed had given her a relentless noogie earlier, and although he never hit her or or threatened her the way he did the boys, she still wasn't spared from the teasing.

Kevin slumped over and sighed. "Sorry guys..." He apologized giving everyone a sympathetic smile. "I guess I just attract bullies." His friends all frowned back at him.

"Come on, man..." Nazz consoled him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You know this isn't your fault. We just have bad luck, together."

From a few tables over, Eddward glared defiantly towards Kevin's table, his jaw locked in a tight scowl. Eddy and Ed were busying themselves tossing peas at kids that passed by. When they finally ran out of food to throw, Eddy elbowed Double D in the arm.

"What's eatin' you, Sockhead?" He asked, following Edd's gaze to Kevin's table. He rolled his eyes, not sure why he hadn't figured it out right off the bat. "Lookit that dork. All smug and comfy with his loser friends. Could he look any stupider, either?" He joked.

"Be quiet, Eddy." Eddward retorted, his eyes still fixed on Kevin.

Eddy glowered, grabbing Edd's shirt and shaking him from his concentration. "Whadda you care, anyway? He's just some stupid loser who's not even worth the time 'a day. Ya said so yourself when we first came here."

Edd shoved Eddy's arm away and stared down at the table. "I don't care." He answered. "I just have a lot on my mind and your incessant bantering is irritatingly distracting."

"My _what_?"

"You talk too much."

"Whatever. If you don't care, why don't you go pour your milk on his head or something? Seems like a little stress relief would do you some good." Eddy gave Eddward a mocking grin as he pushed the school tray towards him.

"Oh please. Do you really think we need to waste our time with so childish a prank?" Edd replied, rolling his eyes. There was only so much he could do to protect Kevin, and while he was usually able to deter Eddy's vindictive notions, he felt todays was a losing battle. On these days he could only hope to convince Eddy that he'd done enough damage as early as possible and spare Kevin some bruising or humiliation.

"Fine, Lame-o." Eddy snorted. "If you won't do it, _we _will." He looked over to Ed who gave a goofy grin in response.

"Gonna send the little fishies swimming!" He chuckled loudly at his own joke.

"Alright, can it, birdbrain." Ed fell silent and the two of them stood up with their own milk cartons and started a slow walk away from the table.

"Eddy, please." Eddward called after them, standing himself. "Would you just come back here and forget about this foolishness?"

"If you don't want me to do it, you could always do it yourself!" Eddy called back in response. Eddward ground his teeth for a moment, staring at the shorter boy with a contemplative look.

"Fine." He responded, and Eddy grinned fiendishly, basking in self-satifaction. Eddward walked over to the two boys and jerked the milk carton from Eddy's hands before making his way to Kevin's table.

"Trouble approaches upon the horizon of the mess hall of half-cooked foods of poor nutrition!" Rolf called out in panic, and Kevin snapped his head over to see Eddward walking towards them.

"This can't be good.." Kevin mumbled and stood up to meet Edd halfway. "Whatever you're going to do, just get it over with fast. I'm really not in the mood for your crap today." He noticed Eddy standing behind them, an accomplished smile plastered on his face and suddenly he felt an unfamiliar rage in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh Pumpkin, can't I just come over to extend my sincerest greetings every now and then?" Eddward responded with a smug smirk.

"No." Kevin spat in response.

Eddward frowned for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "And here I came bearing a gift to show my appreciation for you." He teased, raising the milk carton in front of him. Kevin gave him a cold glare and Eddward froze, staring back into Kevin's eyes with another unreadable expression. Suddenly he lifted the milk carton up to his lips and chugged down the contents of the bottle. He held the now empty container over Kevin's head and let it go, making a hollow 'thunk' upon contact. Kevin stood dumbfounded for a moment as the bottle bounced off his head and hit the floor, causing another tiny thunking noise. "I changed my mind." Eddward muttered. "I didn't want to share with you after all." He turned his back to Kevin and made his way back to Ed and Eddy, who was seething where he stood.

"What the heck was that, Sockhead?!" Eddy fumed, but Eddward just pushed his way past the two boys and headed for the doors to the cafeteria. The bell signifying the end of the lunch period rang behind him as the doors swung to close, and the students began picking up their trays and making their way out as well.

Kevin stood in the middle of the cafeteria for a while longer, staring down at the empty milk carton in confusion. His friends came up behind him and ushered him out, while Eddy skulked along after Eddward.

When Kevin arrived at his next class, he was surprised to see Eddward leaning against the door frame. "What are you doing here?" He asked cautiously, but Eddward only offered a silent gaze in return. Kevin drew in a deep breath, "thanks for that, Double D..." The nickname hardly more than a whisper.

Eddward flashed a small smile, and if Kevin had blinked he was sure he would have missed it. "Don't get used to it, Pumpkin." He finally responded, reaching his hand out and twisting Kevin's hat around.

"Hey man, don't ruin the moment." Kevin laughed slightly, fixing his hat.

Eddward shrugged his shoulders. "Farewell, then." He offered before disappearing into the crowded hallways.

* * *

Fuuuu! I'm really tired you guys! But I managed to get out another chapter for you. Wheeee~ ^_^

My friend helped me edit and clean this up beforehand as well, so hopefully less spelling and grammatical errors all around! YEAH! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope my intentions are coming out as clearly as I see them in my head.. But if not, let me know! I'll try my best to fix it for you! -Flails-

Hopefully in my following chapters I'll be able to paint a better picture of the scenes and surroundings for you as well! ...Hopefully.. orz

Feel free to review, as your kind words/hostile threats to get me to update really encourage me to keep writing!

Love!

-Chrono


	9. Official Hiatus Declaration

Hello my lovely darlings.. I know I've failed you as far as updating goes, and to be painfully and despairingly honest, I've not come bearing great news in regards to False Astronomy.

But please allow me to explain myself before you decide to hate me forever.

I'd like to let you all know that I've moved! Homes. Not websites or anything like that.

I live in a cozy 2 bedroom apartment with my fiance, father and sister now. But the kicker is.. I'm the only one with a job (Two, until two weeks ago.) and as such.. I'm the only one paying bills. orz

And that would be all well and fine and what not, but.. I can't AFFORD what we have. Or rather, what my family took it upon themselves to add on even though I'm the only one making any money without so much as consenting with me... So, while I'd like to happily chime, "I have internet again and I can update the story for you guys!" I'm basically going to be cancelling it post-haste to ensure I don't have any other surprise bills. (That is, on top of all the magical surprise installation fees! So, a basic $40 setup turned into like a $99 SPECIAL SUPER AWESOME HIDDEN FEES AND SHIT YOU DON'T NEED THAT WE ADDED ANYWAYS BECAUSE WHY NOT?) I... Probably.. STILL... won't be around much.. I'll try and get something out to you all.. But unfortunately I can't make any garuntees because if I'm not working.. I'm basically... Sleeping..

I'm sorry I failed you! TT_TT


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